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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Caramel Swirl Meringues

candy· Cookies· Easter· Holiday Favorites· Valentine's Day
April 18, 2022

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Caramel Swirl Meringues – Freshly whipped meringues are swirled with caramel sauce and then baked until perfectly crisp on the outside and light on the inside.

close up of caramel swirl meringue on a baking sheet

Meringue cookies don’t get enough love nowadays. When done right, they are perfectly chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside. And you can even add additional flavors to them to make them extra-special.

That’s exactly what I did with these Caramel Swirl Meringues. I had no idea how easy it was to swirl in flavors into meringue. But this recipe from Bake from Scratch opened my eyes. Now, I can’t wait to swirl in some other flavors, like chocolate!

But before we start thinking about additional recipes, let’s focus on this one. Whipping up meringue can be temperamental. However, once you know the tricks for making sure they turn out right, you’ll easily escape any issues. Also, in this recipe, I made my own caramel, but you can certainly use your own recipe or buy a jar of caramel to use, instead.

Before we go any further into the recipe, let’s take a closer look at the Caramel Swirl Meringues.

overhead shot of caramel swirl meringues on a baking sheet
caramel swirl meringues on a baking sheet with a jar of caramel
caramel swirl meringue on a spatula with a baking sheet in the background

Making these meringues

Meringues are a cookie made with few ingredients. Just egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. However, these ingredients can be a little finicky when baked together. But don’t worry, we’ll handle them just right to make sure they cooperate.

Cooking the sugar and egg whites

Before we whip the egg whites and sugar together, we cook them slightly to melt the sugar. If the sugar is gritty when whipped in the egg whites, it will melt out of the meringue when baked. So melting it ensures it becomes mixed into the whites well and stays there.

Whipping the egg whites

Once the sugar is melted into the egg whites, it’s time to whip them up. Eggs need stabilization to whip well so we don’t want to immediately turn the speed to high – we’ll slowly increase it over a minute or so. The same goes for when we decrease the speed when the egg whites are whipped – do it slowly!

You’ll know the egg whites are whipped perfectly when they are glossy and stiff. They should not spread when dolloped on the baking sheet. If they do, they need more air.

Swirling in the caramel

Once the egg whites are whipped, they’re dolloped on a prepared baking sheet. Caramel is spooned in the center and then swirled in a circle with the meringue. Careful not to swirl all the way to the edge of the egg white. Otherwise, the caramel will melt out.

Baking the meringues

In order to keep the meringues pristinely white, they need to cook at a low temperature. Therefore, the oven temperature is kept at 200 degrees. The meringues will need about 1 hour 15 minutes to cook in a low oven. Once the time expires, turn off the oven and keep them in there for another 1 hour. This will ensure the meringues come to room temperature slowly and don’t crack.

Tips & Tricks

  1. Stand mixer is a must. Because the egg whites take time to whip up, a stand mixer is super helpful. You can use a hand mixer, but be prepared to hold it for about 8 minutes without moving.
  2. Clean bowl. The bowl of the stand mixer must be super clean to ensure the whites whip up well. Also, you’ll want to make sure the yolk is completely separated from the white. Any remnants of yolk will keep the whites from whipping, as well.
overhead shot of caramel swirl meringues on a baking sheet
Print Recipe

Caramel Swirl Meringues

Prep Time15 mins
Total Time15 mins
Servings: 12 meringues

Ingredients

For the meringues
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup caramel sauce recipe below
For the caramel sauce:
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter salted, sliced
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

For the meringues:
  • Preheat oven to 200 degree. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Fill a medium sauce pan with about 2 inches of water and set over medium-low heat. Place heat-proof bowl over the top. Add sugar, egg whites, salt and cream of tartar. Mix together with a spatula. Continue to stir until sugar dissolves and mixture reaches between 150-160 degrees.
  • Remove mixture from heat and pour into bowl of a stand mixer. Add vanilla extract. Using the beater attachment, whisk egg whites over low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium for 30 seconds and then keep increasing the speed slowly until medium-high. Whip until glossy, stiff peaks form. This should take no more than 8 minutes.
  • Spoon 12 even dollops over the baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each. Spoon about ½ teaspoon of caramel sauce in the center of the meringue and swirl in a circle.
  • Bake in preheat oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let them cool in the oven for about 1 hour. They should be firm to the touch. If not, leave them in there for 30 more minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool completely before eating.
To make caramel sauce:
  • Place sugar in medium saucepan and heat to medium. Stir occasionally with a silicone spatula (make sure it can handle high heat temps!). As the caramel begins to liquefy, scrape from the bottom and mix back into the granulated pieces. The sugar will clump but eventually it will melt again and turn a deep amber brown. Make sure you are still stirring so it does not burn.
  • Once the sugar is melted, add butter and stir until butter is melted, about 2-3 minutes. Use a whisk to incorporate the butter with the sugar.
  • Very, very slowly, add the cream to the sugar mixture while whisking. The mixture will start to bubble violently, but keep stirring and it will calm down. Allow it to boil for 1 minute.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the salt. Transfer to storage container (such as a mason jar) and allow it too cool for at least 1 hour before using.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Bake from Scratch

Pin for later:

collage of caramel swirl meringues with descriptive text

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22 Comments

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Comments

  1. BABS says

    March 20, 2023 at 7:56 pm

    I make meringues all the time for the various holidays, and just flavor and tint to go with the holiday. Never thought of mixing caramel , or other ingredients into the meringues like this. Thank you!! Will start to add more adventure to my future meringues. I do dip the bottoms into chocolate for Valentines day when I make meringues hearts.
    Again thank you!

    Reply
  2. Lucas Charles says

    April 26, 2022 at 8:02 am

    This is absolutely the best information I have looking forward to get,

    Reply
  3. Cathleen says

    April 25, 2022 at 8:51 am

    These meringues are so beautiful!! I am planning on making them for my mom on mothers day, I am so excited 🙂

    Reply
  4. Chenée says

    April 25, 2022 at 1:57 am

    These meringues were a huge hit with all of us! So easy and so yummy!

    Reply
  5. Lauren Michael Harris says

    April 24, 2022 at 10:12 pm

    What a fun, delicious way to add a little more flavor to merinques. They usually aren’t my favorite but you had me at caramel!

    Reply
  6. Loreto and Nicoletta says

    April 24, 2022 at 9:46 pm

    I love meringues, and your with that luscious caramel is making me drool! Great tips on getting your egg whites and sugar. Good to know! Great job wonderful pics!

    Reply
  7. Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says

    April 24, 2022 at 3:11 pm

    Such a simple recipe that is absolutely delicious! These are so light and airy and that caramel swirl… INCREDIBLE! These will be on baking repeat!

    Reply
  8. Uma says

    April 22, 2022 at 6:06 pm

    These caramel swirl meringues look delicious. They are perfectly chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside.

    Reply
  9. Freya says

    April 22, 2022 at 1:04 pm

    These were so much easier to bake than I had thought! They look really tricky but we’re not at all!

    Reply
  10. Amanda Mason says

    April 21, 2022 at 9:05 pm

    Oh I love a good meringue recipe and this one did not disappoint! So tasty and easy to make! The caramel makes this recipe.

    Reply
  11. Leslie says

    April 21, 2022 at 1:35 pm

    I have never heard of caramel meringues..what a fabulous idea! Thanks for sharing this delightful recipe!

    Reply
  12. Julie says

    April 19, 2022 at 4:33 pm

    I made these and the caramel in them was incredible! Such a creative upgrade from your standard meringue!

    Reply
  13. Annie Young says

    April 19, 2022 at 4:12 pm

    Oh my goodness, these look delicous! Bookmarking this to make this weekend with my daughter 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  14. Liza says

    April 19, 2022 at 2:16 pm

    Oh my goodness, what a great recipe! I love crispy meringues and I ADORE caramel, so thank you for combining those two tasty flavors in one delicious treat! Another winner from Certified Pastry Aficionado!

    Reply
  15. Tara says

    April 19, 2022 at 1:37 pm

    Such beautiful meringues! I love love love that swirl of homemade caramel through the center. The flavors sound absolutely incredible.

    Reply
  16. Beth says

    April 19, 2022 at 1:25 pm

    This is easy and elegant! Perfect for a quick sweet treat or part of a pretty baby/bridal shower!

    Reply
  17. Joyce says

    April 19, 2022 at 1:03 pm

    The caramel was heavenly in this meringue! I ate half the batch on my own! haha Thanks so much for this delicious recipe!

    Reply
  18. Nadalie says

    April 19, 2022 at 12:43 pm

    We’ve always had meringues before but never tried adding some topping to it! Gotta try this out soon!

    Reply
  19. Amanda says

    April 19, 2022 at 12:24 pm

    These little meringues were wonderful! They were perfectly light and airy, and I loved the richness the caramel added. Perfect little dessert!

    Reply
  20. Fatima T says

    April 19, 2022 at 9:07 am

    This looks delicious! I can’t wait to give these a try for an upcoming event.

    Reply
  21. Mimi says

    April 19, 2022 at 4:57 am

    Anything with caramel makes me happy! These look divine

    Reply
  22. Amber Myers says

    April 18, 2022 at 6:02 pm

    Oh my gosh, these look amazing. I will have to try them out. What a delicious dessert!

    Reply

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